


Uprising

by Eicosanoids



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-27 09:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2688491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eicosanoids/pseuds/Eicosanoids
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dystopia AU! Clara Oswald. Teacher. Living in the squalid conditions of the poorest sector, she thinks life couldn’t get worse. Until it does. And then she meets a man, known only as The Doctor, from the elite. Then, the uprising can begin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Deep Breath

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the movie Snowpiercer, you should watch it if you get the chance. Although maybe not because there’s going to be major spoilers for this fic. Sorry.

“Miss!”

The frantic cry from one of her students made Clara’s heart drop suddenly. Mentally preparing herself for bad news –did another person die in the mines, did another child get selected, did an Overseer kill someone- but she breathed a sigh of relief when she turned to see the student who called out to her smiling brightly.

None of the options she was dreading. Praise the Lord, she thought as she crouched down to Maebh’s level, the 10-year-old girl tugging at the sleeve of her jacket. “What is it, Maebh?”

“Miss! Could you walk me home today? My mum said that she had to take another shift today and told me to ask you if you could walk me home.” An extra shift. _Right,_ Clara thought to herself, _there was another accident a few days ago._ One of the mines had collapsed with workers still inside of them. Needless to say, they suffocated by the time people had tried to unearth them out.

It made work tougher as they had to repair the mines even after such an accident. Maebh’s mom must be helping with the relief efforts. Clara gave the girl a reassuring nod. “Of course, I always have the time for you. Let me finish cleaning up first, alright?”

“I can help!” Maebh said as she began running across the room, picking up the tattered books strewn across the floor carefully. At an early age, the children were taught to take care of the precious few goods they had. It was sacred almost, they never got any new books and there was no material to make any books. Trees were a thing of the past and the branches from the bushes were more importantly used elsewhere. Now, stories and information were passed verbally from generation to generation. It was difficult but somehow, they’ve managed for a while. “Thanks Maebh,” Clara smiled appreciatively as she busied herself in tidying up the room, putting the chairs back in their place and wiping down the chalkboard. The room was tiny and it was mainly used for council meetings held in their sector. Yet whenever there wasn’t a meeting, which was frequent, she had permission to use it as an area to educate and take care of the kids whose parents were far too busy. Most of the kids were young but then there were those like Maebh who were more interested in learning. Clara encouraged it, as a teacher, she was always supportive of all of the students and wanted them to continue learning.

But it was hard work and sometimes to get work done, the older kids were enlisted to help out. There were few boys above the age of eight in her class, most of them were either helping out in the mines or working on the farms.

Clara remembered her mother telling that about a time when you could learn for almost forever. When you could be a student well into your twenties if you wanted to –nowadays, it was a rarity for a child to not be working if they were over the age of ten. She sighed wistfully. She would’ve liked to learn for that long. But then again, she had always been a bright girl, falling in love with the precious few stories that existed in the Sector. And she had a knack for taking care of young charges which easily gave her a comfortable role in society as one of the few instructors for the children. She didn’t think she would have enjoyed the difficult job of mining or farming. Reading –and telling stories were more of her thing.

“Alright I think we’re done,” Clara said, pleased as she glanced at the room which was perfectly spotless. “Let’s go to your place now, okay Maebh?” She held out a hand which Maebh quickly surged forward to grab before they started out the door.

“Miss Oswald! Can you tell me another one of your stories?” Maebh asked and Clara let out a small chuckle of amusement. “Alright. Did you want to hear about anything in particular?” She had too many stories in her head that her mother had passed down to her, it was going to be difficult to choose.

“The one where the skies are blue!”

At Maebh’s words, Clara’s gaze flickered up to the sky. She couldn’t imagine a time when the skies were blue, if ever. It seemed almost impossible, with the dark, sickly yellow air they had. A bright blue was almost unimaginable. “Well,” Clara started as she pulled her gaze away from the sky and back to Maebh. “Once upon a time, before Sector 3-C existed, there was a place that was filled with blue. The skies were blue and the water was incredibly blue too. And the land was an array of different colors, ranging from green to orange to yellow…and it changed every few months. So you could have a green plant at one point and at the next, it could become yellow. Not the decaying yellow color that we see here when plants die but a bright yellow.”

“It sounds like a fairy tale,” Maebh replied dreamily and Clara let out an agreeing nod. “Yes, but it was real at some point! But I can imagine how beautiful it was.”

“What happened?”

Clara smiled weakly. Ah. That was the question she dreaded the most. What happened to the beautiful, almost magical place in her stories? “Well,” She started slowly. “Even though it was so beautiful, it was still dangerous. Something happened in the air, some sort of illness began to spread throughout the world. Many ended up dying painfully and it was a terrible time for these people. So a certain group of people, the best thinkers in the world, came together to find a solution. And their solution was to build safe enclosures like this one to protect us from the terrible plague.” Maebh wrinkled her nose. “I don’t feel safe. Especially not with the Overseers around.”

“Don’t let them hear you say that,” Clara murmured lightly, glancing around them just in case. There was one android-like creature walking ten feet across from them but she doubted it could hear Maebh. “They’re…they’re here to protect us and keep order. Or at least, that’s what they’re instructed to do.”

Maebh didn’t seem convinced by her response (and neither was she to be perfectly frank). “But they just hurt people for no reason! They’re really mean.” Clara winced at her words as she remembered moments of seeing the Overseers surround someone whom they thought was a threat. It was terrifying to be on the other end of an Overseer with their weapons at the ready. One shot from them and you were toast. And because they were drones, there was no point in talking sense with them. Recently, someone who forgot to return a tool back to its proper location had gotten electrocuted by one of them. Needless to say, these Overseers were practically sadistic if they could feel. “Well, they do their job,” Clara said distractedly. “Even if they go about it harshly most of the time.”

As they passed a heavily fenced area, Maebh tugged at Clara’s hand to get her attention. There was always a large group of Overseers that watched over this particular part of the Sector; at least a dozen were always on patrol around the fence. Maebh looked confused for a moment before she asked, “What’s behind the fence? I always see this when I walk home with my mum but I never asked her about it.”

“That’s known as DALEK,” Clara answered back, her eyes watching as one of the Overseers as it marched into a small building within the fence. “It’s a containment facility. A prison for criminals that came from the other Sectors.” There were more than one sector, although she had no idea what the other sectors were like in the slightest. There was a gigantic door that was guarded by a series of Overseers that allowed the passage of certain food and tools to be brought to their sector when necessary. It was generally closed and inaccessible to any of them –rather, you were immediately shot on sight if you made a dash for the door. Many had tried, in their insanity, to escape the hellhole they were in but none of their escape attempts were successful. Even rebellions never worked, Clara thought. They would always get so close but the Overseers were always one step ahead of the game. It was as if they could predict what was going to happen. Instead of a successful rebellion, it was always a slaughter.

The only ones who were allowed to pass through were the children. Every so often, a person would appear from the other side of the door. They would call out for all of the children in the Sector to assemble before them before selecting a few and taking them out of the Sector. “To a better place”, they always said as they herded the children away.

And no one in the Sector had ever seen a child return. It was always stressful, the days when the bell chimed in the gateway to call for attention. The Selection Process was a day that everybody dreaded in the Sector. But resisting against it, whether it meant hiding your child or trying to take them back, resulted in unjust deaths and bloodshed. Clara glanced down at Maebh and a pang of grief struck her chest. Maebh’s elder sister had been selected a few years ago. And Maebh had never been the same girl as before when she was taken away.

“Is there anybody in there?” Maebh’s words shook Clara out of her thoughts as she glanced behind her, they had passed the fence. Looking at the facility within the fence, Clara shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve heard rumors of somebody from Sector 1-A being kept in there. But that’s just a rumor. For all we know, there could be anyone in there.” Or no one.

Because how could anyone fall so low from the highest Sector to the lowest?

“Anyways, that’s not important. Whoever’s in there must be dangerous and right now, what you need is safety.” Clara announced as they reached the front doorsteps of Maebh’s home. It was a small shack-like building but that was typical of most housing in this Sector. Run-down slabs of nothing but mud and stone. “You’re home now. Now be good okay?” Clara turned her teacher voice back on. “I want you to finish those math questions that Mr. Pink left you. He’s coming in tomorrow to teach again so I want you to participate in the discussion.” A groan escaped Maebh’s lips at her words. “But Miss…math is boring! I want another reading class!”

“We can have a reading class after Mr. Pink is done teaching tomorrow,” Clara promised. “Remember, Mr. Pink managed to get time off of working in the mines to come teach you. Give him some credit, he’s a good teacher.”

Maebh rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but that’s just because you like Mr. Pink!”  A flush spread across Clara’s face at Maebh’s comment and she shook her head rapidly. “Of course I like him as a person! He’s a very nice and kind man for coming to teach you some math.” But it didn’t look like her words worked because Maebh gave her a smug smirk for a second before it instantly faded into a big smile.

“Okay well, I’m doing to do some reading before doing the math problems! I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Oswald! Thank you for walking me home!”

“My pleasure,” Clara smiled as she waved the girl good-bye, walking back onto the path. Now that she had walked all the way to the other side of the sector, she had quite a walk ahead of her to reach her own home. Luckily, she didn’t have to walk alone for long as one math teacher had strolled along right beside her.

“Danny!” Clara greeted with a warming smile at the sight of the other man. He was sweaty and there were flecks of coal and other ashes scattered on his person. But despite the exhaustion livid on his face, he brightened considerably at her call.

“Fancy seeing you here, Clara. Didn’t know that you moved.” Clara laughed, shaking her head. “No, I was just walking Maebh –you remember Maebh right?- home. She lives around in these parts and her mum is helping out with the relief efforts. How’s that going?” She questioned.

“As well as it could be,” Danny sighed. “There’s a lot of rubble we have to clear out. We’ve unearthed another body so hopefully we can prepare something of a funeral for them by the end of the day. That’s the seventh one we’ve found. There’s probably more.”

Sadness swept across Clara as she glanced downwards to her feet, feeling a pang of grief slowly begin to bubble up within her. “Any…children?” She asked quietly. She needed to know. After all, there were many children who ended up going to the mines to work.

“Just one,” Danny’s voice was just as quiet as her’s. “A boy, Angelo. He was only fourteen and he was with his dad in the mines. We recovered both of their bodies.” At the news, Clara closed her eyes. It was too much to bear at times.

She felt a tentatively touch on her shoulder and glanced to the side to see Danny slowly wrap an arm around her shoulders, attempting to comfort. “Thanks,” She murmured quietly, leaning against Danny’s side as they walked.

“It’s no trouble.” They walked silently for a few more minutes, the two of them both in deep thoughts. It was hard to start a conversation again right after some heavy news. Clara expected to hear a lot about who was dead or injured by the next time. She’d have to figure out how to shoulder that –and explain it to her young charges.

“Are you coming in tomorrow?” Clara asked, “Or are you needed-“

Danny shook his head, “I changed my day off so I can come in tomorrow. Don’t worry, I think working with the kids again will do me some good.” He smiled tightly. “It definitely beats working in the mines.”

“I still can’t believe you use your day offs to come and help me out,” Clara sighed. “Don’t you want to relax? I can’t imagine how much you’re doing right now…”

“Clara, it’ll be my pleasure to come in and work with the kids,” Danny said earnestly. “Besides, it’s always nice to spend time with you.” A blush spread across Clara’s face at his words and she looked away, hoping that the redness wasn’t too noticeable on her face. “Well, it’s really nice. The kids and I really appreciate it.”

“I’m glad they’re not sick of me yet. Oh, here’s your place. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Danny pointed out as Clara glanced at the entrance of her house. She didn’t notice how much time had passed and she gave Danny a small smile before reaching up to give him a friendly hug.

“Thanks for walking me home. Did you want to come in for a bit and rest?” She offered but Danny made a waving motion with his hands. “No, I’m just heading back to my place to get some tools. Some of the ones we’ve been using broke so I’m just going to collect some more. I’ll see you tomorrow Clara. Have a good night.”

“Good night!” She called out behind him as he left. She waited until she could barely see him in the distance before making her way back inside her home.

 

* * *

 

The shrill sound of the bell shook her awake in the wee hours of the morning. Almost dazedly because she couldn’t believe how early it was, Clara scrambled to get ready, throwing on a raggedly blanket to wrap herself in before sprinting out of the door. That bell. It can’t be another Selection? There was one barely a month ago –why was there one again?

Many homes along the street had been flung open as people started to sleepily follow the sound of the bell. The houses that were most frantic were those with children, she could tell that the mothers and fathers were completely wide-awake and alert with panic and fear. They were almost white with fear, their hands gripping the shoulders and hands of their children tightly as they marched down the pathway to the gateway. Many of the residents slowly began to awaken and join them and before long, a gathering had grown in front of the gateway.

At least twenty Overseers guarded the entranceway this morning, Clara noticed. There were a series of children, lined up in the front of the strange procession as the adults watched on nervously. She could feel the sleepiness begin to fade from her and a fresh wave of panic started to make her shake with abandon.

Until she felt a calming hand pat her on the shoulder and she glanced to see Danny standing by her side. She smiled weakly at him and he gave a nod in response. But it was clear that neither of them were in the mood to make jokes. Not when the lives of children were on the line.

A young women marched her way up to the front of the children, looking rather haughty. “Welcome, people of Sector 3-C! I do apologize for this early morning wake up but then again, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!” She let out a shrill laugh but it fell upon death years in the crowd. No one was in the mood to laugh. The woman seemed unamused by their response because she scowled quickly before snapping her fingers.

“Well then. Moving on to business, shall we? I’m hoping that you’ve all woken up your children up and they’re standing before me. Because if any of the Overseers catch a child that’s not here…,” She made a motion across her neck. “It’s night-night. Anyways, let’s see who we have today….”

She made her way across the ranks of the children, prodding them with a finger or patting them on the head as she walked. The children were standing, stiff as a pole as she made her inspection. The few she pulled out from the ranks were dragged to where the Overseers were standing. Cries came from the crowd when someone’s child was pulled but there was nothing they could do to stop it from happening. With the Overseers around, it was too risky.

“Well, what do we have here?” Suddenly, the women fished out something shabby from the hands of one of the children. Clara quickly caught sight of the object and widened her eyes when she noticed that it was a book. No…it can’t be…

“A book! Where did you get this, little girl?” The women asked in a sickly sweet tone as she flipped through the pages. A few fell out, landing on the ground. “The adventures of Robin Hood. A classic. You must be quite the reader, aren’t you?” The women patted the girl who stood absolutely still on the head before  grabbing her arm. “Right then, you’re the last one we’ll be taking today.”

As soon as the girl was pulled out of the crowd of students, Clara couldn’t help herself. “Maebh!” She yelled out, almost in tune with the scream coming from near the front. _Maebh’s mother, oh dear Lord, this is her 2 nd child-_

Clara could see Maebh trying to shake out of the woman’s iron grip and that did it. She snapped. Without thinking and ignoring Danny’s shout, Clara had begun to push her way towards the front of the crowd. She needed to do something; she had to stop them from taking Maebh away of all of the children-

Until she found herself stopped in her tracks by a strong arm that gripped her tightly. “Clara, listen to me. Take a deep breath and calm down,” Danny urged quietly. Even as she struggled, Danny’s grip didn’t loosen in the slightest. “Clara, you’re not going to achieve anything if you charge forward without a plan. They’ll kill you –and possibly Maebh- if you try to do anything. Calm down Clara. Deep breath.”

  
Clara took a shuddering breath but she stopped struggling. She knew that Danny was right. If she made a scene, it was going to end up with more people dead than she wanted. And she couldn’t risk harming Maebh but…

Clara took a shuddering breath but she stopped struggling. She knew that Danny was right. If she made a scene, it was going to end up with more people dead than she wanted. And she couldn’t risk harming Maebh but…

Slowly but surely, the women had begun to take the children towards the gate. Before long, they all disappeared through the gate leaving no trace that they’ve ever been a part of this Sector. The Overseers stood like fixed guardians, blocking the door and many had begun to try and disperse the crowd.

“YOU MUST RETURN TO YOUR JOBS. IDLING WILL RESULT IN PUNISHMENT.” The crowd began to dwindle as many of the onlookers slowly left. The ones whose children had been taken away sobbed loudly but even they too, were forced to leave the gateway and return.

Clara herself found herself unable to move. She wouldn’t have moved from her spot if it weren’t for Danny coaxing her to take one step at a time. Catching sight of something on the ground, Clara reached down to pick up the badly damaged book that Maebh had held earlier. If she hadn’t been holding it, would she have been taken?

“It’s not your fault,” Danny insisted, answering as if he could read her mind. “Don’t blame yourself for this. Come on, we should be going.” He glanced worriedly at the Overseers around them.

“Robin Hood,” Clara murmured quietly as she clutched the book tightly against her chest. They needed a hero like Robin Hood. Someone to save them all.

 

* * *

 

Clara had decided to cancel classes for the day. It was unfair for the children to come to a class with Maebh missing; it would probably shake the morale of the group. And she was feeling too sick to teach, knowing that Maebh was no longer in her classroom.

Her hand traced over the faded lettering of the cover of Robin Hood, the book still held tightly in her hands.

“You’re hurting yourself by holding onto it,” Danny spoke quietly, breaking into her thoughts. Since he had taken the day off but classes were cancelled, he had elected to stay near Clara. Keep an eye out for her well-being, as he called it.

“I just can’t believe it. That she’s just…gone,” Clara spoke quietly. “It’s not fair. It’s not right, they can’t just take away a child like that!” Every Selection period was frightening and when her students were taken away, that was absolutely horrifying. But it had never shook her as badly as Maebh’s selection. She was incredibly close to the girl and knowing that she had been brutally taken away was just…

It was like someone had stabbed Clara swiftly and cruelly in the heart.

“I don’t like it either,” Danny spoke quietly, reaching over to try and pry Clara’s hands away from the book. “They shouldn’t have the right to do it. But right now, there’s nothing we can do to help. It’s not as if we can pass through the gates. We don’t even know what’s beyond Sector 3.”

**_“I’ve heard rumors of somebody from Sector 1-A being kept in there.”_ **

The conversation Clara had with Maebh drifted into her thoughts at Danny’s words. She froze suddenly as she found the beginnings of a plan began to formulate in her head. “We…don’t,” She started slowly. “But maybe someone else does.” A confused expression made its way onto Danny’s face as Clara continued. “The criminal in DALEK. Aren’t they from Sector 1?”

“Well, that’s what rumors say…”

“But what if they are?” Clara insisted. “If we know that they’re from Sector 1…they probably know how to get out of the gates and direct us to where Maebh might be kept.” And wasn’t Sector 1 where all of the decisions were made for all of the Sectors?

If they could possibly reach that one, it might be possible to find Maebh. And better yet, stop Selections from ever occurring. “What if we talk to the prisoner? And somehow get their help? We can…” A note of hope flickered into her words, a tone that had been missing for a very long time.

“We can save Maebh.” 


	2. Into the Dalek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Clara meets the prisoner in DALEK for the first time.

“Clara…,” Danny began cautiously, watching her warily as she got up to her feet and began to pace around the room. “What exactly are you implying?”

“I’m saying, I’m saying,” Clara started as she created circles around the room, tapping her finger against the side of her elbow as she started to formulate her thoughts. “What if. That prisoner that’s in the DALEK containment facility knows where she’s gone. He knows where Maebh’s been taken and he can help us find her.” There was a glimmer of hope that shined in her eyes as Clara whirled around to face Danny directly. “Danny –we might even be able to save all of the other children that were taken!”  After all, they must have all been taken to the same place. If she could give even a clue as to what was in store outside of the walls of her Sector, maybe they’d be able to reunite all of the other children with their families.

She could make things _right_ for once.

“Okay,” Danny’s voice broke into her train of thought as he got up to his feet to stand right in front of Clara. Almost hesitantly, he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, bending down slightly to look at her in the eye. “Clara, I know that you’re upset,” He started remorsefully. “But…you have to understand that we can’t just waltz into the DALEK facility. We don’t even know who it is that’s being kept in there, what if they’re an actual criminal? That will kill you on sight, and then where will Sector 3-C be without its fantastic teacher?”

A low sigh escaped him as he added, “And what if you’re right? If, let’s say we manage to break into the facility. Hypothetically, and let’s say the prisoner came from one of the upper sectors. Who’s to say they’d be willing to help out? What benefit would they even get? Can you say that it’s worth the risk?”

Reality came crashing down to her as Clara found truth behind Danny’s words. Her shoulders slumped slightly, disappointment clearly evident in her figure. She knew that to some extent, his words were right. Who was to say any of her ideas would come to fruition? It was a dangerous gamble to sneak into the DALEK which was heavily guarded and housed a dangerous person. There was too much on the line but…

But she couldn’t forget the face of the smiling girl who stayed behind frequently to help her tidy up the room. Or the girl who looked as if her birthday came early every time they were able to begin reading a new book. Not just Maebh but all of the other children that had been unfairly snatched away from their lives for the sake of the upper sectors. It was unjust, it was unfair. It was something she would not, could not stand for.

“You’re wrong.” Clara looked up at Danny squarely in the eyes with her jaw set and her expression firm. “Maebh, no, _every_ child is worth the risk. I may not have realized it then but now I know. And I know that this cycle has got to stop.” She brushed off Danny’s hands away before sticking up her chin defiantly at the man.

“I intend to stop it. It’s a gamble every time that bell sounds and someone’s daughter or son gets taken away. If it’s a gamble to see whether or not the person in DALEK can help us, then so be it.” Lest she die trying than to allow this to continue any further. “Whether you help me or not doesn’t matter. But I intend to fight.” She must have looked pretty furious because Danny had backed away slowly from her. But it didn’t bother her, not really, because it must have meant that her words must have shaken the man.

And it must’ve because he let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re really something aren’t you, Miss Oswald?” He started before a grudging smile worked its way onto his face. There was a look of adoration in his eyes before he gave a nod. “Okay. You don’t have to do this alone, I’ll support you. What kind of person would I be if I let you launch headfirst into the prison camp and get caught?” Before Clara could protest, he held up his hands.

“I have…let’s say, some experience with doing these sorts of things. Did some prank stuff as a kid so,” He shrugged his shoulders as an explanation. “And plus, I’ve got friends who could help. But we’ll need a plan.”

A grateful smiled blossomed across Clara’s face as she bobbed her head. It was reassuring to know that Danny was onboard. And good to have him because she knew that, even if she said that she would take on the challenge herself, it would be near impossible to do so.

But now, the impossible wasn’t so impossible anymore. The seeds of the rebellion had started to be sowed, right in the heart of one teacher’s home.

* * *

Clara walked quietly along the main path near DALEK, sneaking between the shacks near the facility to avoid being caught by one of the Overseer’s line of sight. She had been careful to wear darker clothing to blend in with the darkness of the evening. As she reached the part of the fence that Danny had pointed out to her earlier in the day, she quickly swooped in to hide somewhere closer to it. Like he had said, it had been slightly mangled perhaps from an accidental brawl or escape attempt in the past. But it hasn’t been repaired and there was a small opening in one side of it; an opening that she doubted anyone could fit through.

Anyone…if it weren’t for her own petite size.

_“There’s a corner of the fence that’s been badly damaged. They’ve never noticed it because no one ever walks in that direction but there’s just enough space for one body to fit through. Not easily of course but given your size…you’re probably squeeze through just fine.”_

Clara waited patient, crouching down at the ground of the fenced area as she waited for the next signal. It didn’t take long before the whistling of a man caught her attention and she snapped her head up to see Danny strutting down the path. Suddenly, a sharp clang sounded as something was thrown up against the fence and a yelp sounded from him as he ducked yet another can that was tossed at him.

“PINK!” A screeching voice sounded as another woman marched towards him from the shadows, livid with anger. “Do you have any idea what time it is? Its lights out, you’re not supposed to be out here! What are you doing?”

_“Then I’ll be walking down the path by the fence, on the opposite end of you. Journey here -you met her before, didn’t you?- will follow after me and then try to start a commotion. Maybe I missed the curfew or something. We’ll take the attention off of you and that’s when you can probably make your way into the facility undetected.”_

It definitely caught the attention of the Overseers as many had surged up to the location of where the can had made impact and traced it back to where both Journey and Danny were arguing. One of the Overseers had started forward before its mechanical voice broke into their words.

“SILENCE. WE WILL NOT ALLOW DISPUTES SO CLOSE TO OUR PREMISE. LEAVE NOW OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO DELETE YOU.”

That was the last signal. Clara realized as she scanned the rest of the facility that was devoid of all of the guards. It looked as if both Blue and Pink had managed to catch the Overseers’ attention. No time to waste, Clara instantly sprang forward, squeezing between the parts of the fence that weren’t attached and began to run straight towards the entrance of the facility. Without any guards nearby, there was an eerie quietness to dark and desolate containment facility.

Now actually taking a closer look, it was less of a prison then she expected than a completely empty facility. The walls were black and there was barely any light besides a few dim light bulbs that lit the way. She grimaced as she made her way down, doing her best to avoid any potential confrontation inside the hallway. Especially not with any Overseer.

She needed to find that prisoner, just that one. But what was even odder about was that there was no prisoner in sight; regardless of the amount of blank rooms that covered the facility. They were all empty. Devoid of any signs of life.  Yet that couldn’t be possible. Something, someone had to be in the facility or why else would the Overseers watch over an entire DALEK facility?

Her suspicions were confirmed as she reached the final end of the hall where there was a black splattering of a ‘HUMANS GO AWAY’ scribble across one of the doors. Piquing her curiosity, Clara made her way towards the door, her hand grasping the knob tightly. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest, a fleeting sense of fear passing through her as she slowly began to turn the knob.

It could all come crashing down now (because of anything, it could be an overseer behind the door or maybe the prisoner wouldn’t even care to listen to her) but she had to do it. She had to try. Taking a deep breath, she quickly flung open the door.

She had always wondered just what sort of person could live in an enclosure for a very long time. But now she knew.

The room was much more lit up than the hallway, it looked like a junkyard with bits of pieces of different objects strewn across the floor and piled up into different groups on one side of the wall. Really, it was hard to step through the floor because of the amount of stuff that covered the ground; she could barely see the floors. Her arm accidentally brushed against one of the piles and a small object, it looked like a can opener, had been dislodged and made a loud clang as it crashed to the ground.

“You should really be careful. You don’t belong here so don’t make a mess of things.”

Clara froze when she heard the voice, coming from behind her. She slowly turned her body to face the direction of where it was coming from and came face to face with the owner of the voice.

He towered above her –maybe even taller than Danny- with a head of silver and an almost murderous expression on his face. _Or maybe that was just the eyebrows,_ Clara looked at the man closely as he hovered a few feet away. _Because it didn’t look like he was going to kill her anytime. Which was a relief more than anything else._

“You’re not supposed to be here,” He said flatly with a distinct accent to his words. “Who let you in here?”

“I…,” Clara started slowly, unsure of how to phrase it. She didn’t really expect that it would work out to this point. But there was a veiled threat behind his words and she clenched her hand tightly before looking straight at him. “I need your help.” The man raised an eyebrow at her sudden request, but the rest of his features remained expressionless. “Why would I help you?”

“You’re an interesting woman for waltzing into my room without permission. And asking me for help as well…Why should I help you?” In a quick flash, he had crossed the short distance between the two of them, reaching out to grab Clara’s arm tightly in a grip that prevented her from escaping. With his other hand, he placed a finger right across her lips and leaned forward, so closely that she could see every detail of his piercing blue eyes.

“One word. You can tell me, in one word, why I’d even consider helping you. Explain to me, why I would help you.” He paused for a moment before smirking as he removed his finger. “You're thinking it is impossible that such a word exists or that you could even find it.”

In her mind, that was exactly what was running through it. What could she say, how could she ever hope to encompass everything that had just happened in just a single, insignificant word? She might not even know if the men standing before him, if he could even help her at all. What if he wasn’t who she wanted?

But then she thought about Maebh.  

“Children.” She spoke quietly and perhaps that was the key. The right word because it seemed as if his interested had piqued with the way his eyebrows both raised and he made a small ‘oh’ expression on his face. They were both silent for a few moments before he made a small motion with his hands, a gesture implying that she should follow him.

He navigated her through the room, amidst the junk to lead her to a cleaner section of the room, but not by much. A futon was tossed to one side and the bed looked unkempt but he had flopped down on top of it. Clara wasn’t sure whether or not it would be appropriate for her to sit right by his side, especially on his bed, so she stood nervously in front of him instead. Besides, it was better to stand, especially because she could appraise him more carefully at a distance. He wasn’t who she had envisioned as someone who belonged in a facility like DALEK but suffice to say, she knew next to nothing about him. It was too early to judge.

“Children,” He echoed her words from earlier back at her and looked up at her carefully. “Okay. Now explain to me, in detail, what’s going on.” So Clara began to re-tell the events of what had happened in the Sector, the bells and alarms that signalled for the children to be collected and some were taken away, never to be seen again. It could’ve been her imagination but she swore she saw a flicker of something haunting in his eyes as she spoke but it was immediately replaced by a different look.

“So why now? If it’s been happening for quite some time?” He asked and Clara shot the man a weak smile. “Because someone close to me was taken. And I just can’t stand by and watch her be ripped away from her mother. I can’t see that happen anymore. It’s hard to fight back against the Overseers because they don’t feel anything, they just inflict punishment.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“And here…in this sector, there’s a rumor that you’re from Sector 1-A.” Surprise flickered across the man’s face and before she could continue, he harshly said, “Who told you that?”

Clara was surprised for a moment, so surprised even that she took a step back. “A…someone,” She frowned, shaking her head, “It’s a rumor in the Sector. Not sure where it’s originated from.” It wasn’t an answer that it seemed like he was satisfied with but she didn’t know how else to respond. He let out a low sigh, “Well, the rumors are right for a change. I’m from that particular Sector. I was exiled when I tried to rebel against the current leader. That’s why I’m here,” He waved away a hand around his surroundings. “It’s not terrible. Food could be better.”

It was a glimmer of hope in Clara’s eyes as she listened to his words but before she could say anything, he held up a finger. “You need to be less trusting. You don’t even know who I am. What if I tried to rebel against the leader because I wanted to demolish this Sector?” A look of horror crossed Clara’s features before the man chuckled. “No, that would be stupid. I’m not aiming for genocide. I had a difference of opinion with the leader and so here I am.”

“Whatever you did in the past, that doesn’t matter,” Clara insisted. “You’re here now. And I imagine that…you still don’t like what Sector 1-A is up to?” He hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod. “If you help take us to Sector 1-A, we can ensure that you escape from here and Sector 3-C. What you do in Sector 1-A is up to you but I’m determined to save Maebh and all of the other children.”

A chuckle escaped the man, his shoulders shaking from laughter. “You are quite the insistent lady. Tell me then, if you’re so sure of how this is going to proceed…am I a good man?” His question was followed by immediate silence as Clara stared, dumbfounded and confused at his question. He reiterated. “Am I a good man?”

“I don’t know.” What else could Clara reply with? Regardless of how he acted, she couldn’t possibly know –or care- about whom he used to be. How was she allowed to judge a man based on the few minutes she had even known him? Besides, she hasn’t even asked him for his name yet.

He shrugged his shoulders, “Well, I expected that at the very least. You’re honest about it, anyways. Right,” The man got up to his feet, clapping his hands together. “You have my assistance up to and to the point of when we find the children. Afterwards, I’m not obliged in the slightest to help you.” Clara gave a nod of agreement. Those were fair terms. That’s all she could have ever asked or hoped for.

He reached into his jacket pocket before retrieving a small pen-like object. Flickering it on, it let out a low buzzing noise and a green light shined at the tip as he pointed it at the wall behind his bed. A grumble sounded before a small opening became revealed from the walls. He must’ve noticed Clara’s surprise because he quickly explained. “I’ve had a lot of time to kill. It’s not that difficult to figure out how to escape this place, I mean, you got in quite easily for a small fry. I just never saw the point of leaving this place and entering Sector 3-C. It would cause quite a commotion in your community. But I expect that you know how to hide me from prying eyes?”

Clara thought back to her home which was only visited by two-no one person. The one person who also was helping her break the prisoner out of the DALEK. She gave a nod of her head. “We’ve got a place, yeah,” She said before he smiled broadly at her.

“Excellent. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, we’ll get on fabulously.” He began his way to crawl through the opening on the wall, becoming engulfed in the darkness of the makeshift tunnel. Clara hesitated for a flicker of a second, just as she was about to follow suit. He seemed too good to be true, the ease at which he readily agreed to help. She worried that it was all a trap –because it could be-, she didn’t even know _who_ he was.

But she didn’t have time to mull about it any further or even ask for his name before an insistent tone echoed through the tunnel. “Come on!”

So Clara pushed the last dredges of doubt to the back of her mind, shook her head to clear her thoughts and followed him into the darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relatively short chapter, action will be picking up soon. Thank you for reading, and please review. Feedback is great. :)


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